Experts Doubt Effectiveness of Competition Agency

June 30, 20141,644 Views

The experts interviewed by “Commersant” doubt the effectiveness of the Competition Agency. An expertLevan Kalandadze believes that the creation of theCompetition Agency and adoption of the law was one of the key challenges for Georgia and both political and economic circles have always beenfocused on this issue. He says that the solution to the problem with the competition and the launching ofreal antitrust institutions was one of the key challenges in the market.

In his words, the law was adopted, the Competition Agency is set up, the head was appointed, but in fact the law is not working. The expert notes it seems that the law was artificially adopted, because prior to the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU, Georgia had a commitment to the European Union of establishing a similar institution. Kalandadze also does not understand a statement made by the head of the Competition Agency about the impossibility the existence of a monopoly in the market. He adds if a person does not see monopolists on the market, he should not hold this position.

Unlike Levan Kalandadze, a professor at Tbilisi State University Emzar Jgerenaia, who has led the anti-monopoly service at one time, doesn’t connect the setting up of the Competition Agency with the commitment to the European Union. He thinks that the existence of the agency requires the corresponding ideology: under the law, the institute should limit any impact of government structures on the market and stop all regulations or decree which can be considered as a market impact. However, in Emzar Jgerenaia’s words, the stagnation in this area continues. He notes that the Agency staffed by 15-20 men can’t affect the economy and the market.